Last week, Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong parted the sealed lift doors on the eight floor of its storeyed building to launch Yun Wellness, a spa, gym, and poolside venue that’s been one of the most anticipated openings and new ventures in the city since we last wrote about it. 

Post-pandemic and a stellar renovation later, we’ve heard the phrase “urban oasis” so many times over the past few days as writers and purveyors of the spa and wellness industry, curious to see what the long-awaited project would look like, turned up in full unmasked force to bear witness to the launch—and to hear the notable and erudite team behind the comprehensive programme and menu talk passionately about wellness. 

The team included skin specialist Dr Pauline Berner (who flew in specially from Switzerland for the occasion), physiotherapist Panda Li (who has worked with innumerable athletes, including Olympians), registered Chinese medicine practitioner Zevari Hung (espousing the mantra of nourishment to let the body heal itself), Selina Kuok (clinical nutritionist and integrative nutrition health coach, who addressed the endemic of gut and intestinal issues that plague many residents), and Dr Tal Friedman (the centre’s wellness director with a background and post-graduate Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine), all speaking directly not about cosmetic rejuvenation or luxurious massages, but restorative programmes focusing on holistic wellness. The science and empirical studies are clear: healing starts from the centre of our being all the way to our outer skin, and Yun’s wellness concept clearly comes from within. 

Of course, the centre offers, among other facilities, physiotherapy, osteopathy, personal training, and nutritional advice, on top of the usual expectation of facials, body massages, cleanses, and treatments. The experienced motley crew of wellness practitioners and consultants provide a remedial programme that’s nourishing and healing.

Now if that sounds clinical and sterile, well, the images illustrating this feature clearly prove otherwise. Spanish interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán’s touch in every nook and corner, tile, print, fabrication, flora, and fauna in unmistakable. 

Rosa-Violán was in town just weeks ago, making last-minute touches and adjustments to ensure the look and feel (and aroma!) was impeccable from the get-go. With his long association with Shangri-La, we’ve been told this venue will be the blueprint from which every single other spa in the franchise will leap from. 

“When I was asked to take part in this project, I said ‘yes’ immediately,” says Rosa-Violán as he toured the venue exclusively with Robb Report Hong Kong. “Shangri-La means so much to me. From the time I was young, I had a concept of what Shangri-La means to me, and this was my opportunity to show it.”

Not only did the award-winning designer set a high benchmark, his signature can be found in unexpected places. Look at the tree in the middle of a waiting room, a room studded with refreshments and spa paraphernalia, a taupe VIP room with an adjoining living room for refreshments, the arabesque mosaic tiles in the lobby, the jade green ones in the parlour rooms, the gold accents, the feel and fabric of different wallpapers in different spaces, the serpentine paths that lead to ensconced private rooms—we could go on. Before we entered and had a first look, when the literature for the space arrived with as many doctors enlisted to help create the programme, the assumption was that it would look like a med spa in Austria: functional to the point of clinical efficacy. Of course, being part of the lexicon of Shangri-La, naturally, every ounce and millimetre of the floor has a distinct, soothing, and pleasing aesthetic that’s swathed in absolute luxury.

“Our new oasis in the heart of Hong Kong offers all-round well-being at every stage of life,” says wellness director Friedman as he distinguishes himself from 251 (at last count) registered spas in the city. “From busy residents looking for movement classes to post-partum mothers seeking a supportive community, our wellness practitioners and welcoming space will guide you on the path to becoming a healthier and more vibrant you.”

Most chain hotel properties have their eponymous spas, simply stating the obvious,  but the team opted to tap into the lyrical past, picking the word “yun” from Ascend Lonely Isle on the River, the famed fourth-century Chinese poem. We’ve been told the seminal theme to the ancient verse states “to live well is to live long.” Living well in Asia historically traces back to self-care, be it healing massages or nourishing foods; the centre must hold from within.

“Yun Wellness is inspired by Shangri-La Group’s history as a leading Asian heritage brand,” says Chan Kong-leong, regional CEO of Shangri-La Group. “Through this new wellness concept, we want to reflect the romance of Chinese poetry as well as the beauty of nature to create a space that supports guests’ journeys towards better holistic wellness, and helps them discover their own personal Shangri-La.” 

Yun Wellness
8/F, Island Shangri-La, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Tel: (+852) 2877 3838

All images courtesy of Island Shangri-La.